Bros Before Hos - Part II

And as a relationship develops, this becomes the norm: You'll make plans with your girl without consulting the guys, but hardly ever will you do the reverse. So every once in a while, just to show your bros that women don't rule your life, and that bros before hos is one of your mandates, make a snap decision and don’t clear it with the old lady.

It could be as easy as staying out until last call (and beyond), or as big as agreeing to a guys’ weekend getaway. The point is to show them your every move isn't monitored and regulated, and that they're worth dropping everything for. Of course, you know you'll be dealing with the fallout later.

Don't blame your bros

Scenario: "But baby, he kept buying me drinks after I repeatedly told him not to..."

So, you stayed out all night, drank an ungodly amount and woke up on your buddy’s sofa... and worse still, you never called to let her know what was going on. There seems to be only one easy road out of this mess: saying "But, honey, they made me do it..."

This is one shortcut, however, that you should never take. You bros are your bros, not a ready excuse to get you out of a tight spot. If you find yourself making stupid decisions — even if it's to spend time with your bros — accept that it's your decision and take the consequences like a man. Your bros and ho will have enough of a hard time coming together, so there's no point encouraging animosity between them.

Don't rub your ho in your bros’ faces

Scenario: "She's hot and she can cook..."

You think she's great, the best girl in the world. You're blissfully happy and that's just swell, it really is. But please resist the temptation to go on and on about this wonderful person to your friends. They may be desperately single or in settled (read: unexciting) relationships and won't appreciate hearing all about your perfect woman. By all means, let them know you're happy, but don't bang on about it.

Be especially careful around those going through breakups. Once he's over the drunken-rant phase, you may think he is open to friendly banter. But, believe me, "I'm going home to my beautiful lady, while you go home alone, loser..." isn't what he wants to hear. This is definitely not "bros before hos" etiquette.

Don’t stop wingmanning for your bros

Scenario: "I don't really feel like cruising the club scene tonight."

Now that you have a girl, you've stepped out of the pickup world for a while. No more nervous approaches in crowded bars, no more idling away the hours chatting to strange and exotic women. That's all behind you, right? Wrong.

Being in a relationship really means continuing to do all this, but for no other reason than to help out your bro. Just because you decided to settle down, it doesn't mean he should lose a wingman. One of the worst fates a guy can suffer is to find himself single in a group and have no one to go on the prowl with.

By being in a relationship, you'll actually improve your wingman skills. Having nothing to gain from the encounters (aside from the sweet joy of helping your bud get some), you'll find yourself more relaxed and less desperate to impress other women. And by mentioning you already have a girlfriend, you'll put these women at ease, giving your bro the chance to work his magic. Now that's true bros before hos form.

balancing act

With the help of these rules, you should be able to balance time with your bros and your ho. You can have both — even if your girl doesn't like your bros — because they're your friends, not hers. Don't ever let yourself get separated from them. Remember: They'll be there through every relationship in your life; she's probably just here for this one.